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World Cup '99 Update
World Cup All-Star Team Named
Five Americans and seven Chinese players were named to the MasterCard All-Star
Team. The players were selected by the FIFA Technical Study Group based
on their performance throughout the World Cup tournament.
The 16 members of the MasterCard All-Star team are:
- Goalkeepers: GAO Hong (CHN) SCURRY Briana (USA)
- Defenders: WANG Liping (CHN) WEN Lirong (CHN) FITSCHEN Doris (GER) OVERBECK Carla (USA) CHASTAIN Brandi (USA)
- Midfielders: SISSI (BRA) ZHAO Lihong (CHN) LIU Ailing (CHN) WIEGMANN Bettina (GER) AKERS Michelle (USA)
- Strikers: JIN Yan (CHN) SUN Wen (CHN) AARONES Ann Kirstin (NOR) HAMM Mia (USA)
At the July 8th press conference announcing the All-Star team, Gunilla Paijkull
(former Sweden National Coach, current member of the FIFA technical study
group) explained that the nomination of Hamm had been the most debated,
but that her overall play in the tournament had been outstanding - setting
up goals and drawing defenders - despite her relatively low scoring.
The FIFA Technical Study Group is coordinated by Tatjana Haenni (Switzerland)
and includes Sylvie Beliveau (Canada), Futaba Kioka (Japan),
Elisabeth Loisel (France), Gunilla Paijkull (Sweden), Vera Pauw (Holland)
and Chief Onigbinde (Nigeria).
MasterCard will donate $16,000 to SOS Children's Villages - FIFA's official
charity - on behalf of the All-Stars.
Referees Named for Final Games
Nicole Mouidi Petignat of Switzerland will referee the Final Game between
China and the USA. Fans will remember her for fair calls and firm control
of the match in earlier World Cup games. Assistant referees will be Ghislaine
Peron Labbe of France and Ana Perez Assante of Peru, with Katriina Elovirta
of Finland as the fourth official.
The Third Place Match betwween Brazil and Norway will be refereed by Eun
Jun Im of Korea Republic, with Hiase Yoshizawa of Japana and Maria Rodriguez
of Mexico as assistant referees and Virginia Tovar Diaz of Mexico as the
fourth official.
Assignments were made by the FIFA Referees' Committee during a meeting on
Tuesday, July 6th.
Complete Text of the preliminary Los Angeles Declaration
on Women's Football
The 203 national association members of FIFA and the other participants
in the 1999 FIFA Women's Football Symposium,
congratulating the Federation Internationale de Football Association
(FIFA) on having taken the initiative to organise its 2nd Symposium on Women's
Football (7-8 July 1999) for its 203 members,
expressing their satisfaction with the results of the 3rd FIFA Women's
World Cup, which reached new records in terms of attendance in the stadiums
and worldwide media coverage, to the advantage of women's football, highlighting
its quality and participants,
recalling the conventions and legal instruments adopted by international
organisations demanding the elimination of discrimination against women,
such as the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women, and the various documents adopted in sports
forums and by the International Olympic Committee to promote women's sport
such as the IOC-supported Brighton Declaration,
recognising that physical and sports education is an essential factor
in ensuring the well-being and health of the entire population and women
in particular,
emphasising the importance of athletes as role models to break down
barriers to the development of sport as well as cultural and social barriers
to women in sport,
stressing the universal values of football and its unique role in
bridging gaps between races, creeds, ages, social classes and nations, with
the full support and co-operation of the FIFA Executive Committee and Confederations,
1) - call on all Governments and, in particular, Sports Ministers to implement
and reinforce policies to promote women's football,
2) - recommend that the economic partners of football extend their support
to women's football and that the media increase their coverage of this sport,
3) - express their satisfaction to the International Olympic Committee for
its decision to increase the number of teams taking part in the Women's
Football Tournament in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens from 8 to 12,
4) - commit themselves to:
increasing their activities, programmes and funding to develop Women's football,
reaching the goal of an increase of at least 10% in the number of registered
women football players in competitions organized by the national association
over the next four years,
creating women's football competitions at national and regional levels and
for all ages, if they do not already exist,
asking FIFA to develop women's football competitions such as U-18 and futsal
world tournaments,
taking part in the women's football competitions organized by FIFA at the
world level and by the confederations at the continental level,
reinforcing - or, if necessary, creating - the administration of women's
football inside their own structure with the necessary human and financial
resources,
promoting the participation of women in their decision-making bodies and
especially at executive level,
creating a special section devoted to women's football in their technical
committees, developing courses for female coaches, referees, etc. and incorporating
women-related issues in football seminars and studies,
5) - decide to assess the results of their action in favour of women's football
every four years, the next time being on the occasion of the 4th FIFA Women's
World Cup in 2003.
Los Angeles, 8 July 1999.
Frenzy in LA
Los Angeles, July 9, 1999 - There is a Women's World Cup frenzy in LA. The
local newspapers feature 4 or more articles a day about the teams and players.
Radio shows give up to the minute news, the President is here for the game
and Hilary Rodham Clinton is on her way. Rumors about Letterman's arrival
are circulating as quickly as updates on team fitness. Tickets (sold out
several days ago) are so tight that scalpers could make a fortune. More
than 2,000 fans were at the U.S. PRACTICE session yesterday, chanting and
screaming from the time that the players got off the bus.
There is a big street party going on in Pasadena this afternoon, featuring
singer Billy (composer of the official World Cup song), and open to the
public. Earlier in the day, the adidas' Urban Soccer Girl tournament will
wind up in Watts. Tickets to the private adidas party are among the hottest
in town.
New Plans for U.S. Professional League!
New plans for developing a women's professional league were revealed by
Dr. Bob Contiguglia, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, on Wednesday,
July 7. Following the unprecedented success of the 1999 Women's World Cup,
the federation is to assist in developing a business plan to explore the
feasibility of a future women's professional soccer league in the United
States.
U.S. Soccer has committed funds to develop the plan and present it to potential
investors by early next year. Funding for the plan is also being provided
by John Hendricks, founder of the Discovery Channel and the original backer
for earlier plans for a women's professional league. The plan is being drafted
by Mark Abbott, the chief operating officer of the Major League Soccer,
who was a key contributor in the development of that league's original business
plan.
Discussions have been held with members of the U.S. National Team, as well
as other participants and sponsors in the women's soccer community, to aid
in the plan's development. "There are many elements that need to be
in place before you can proceed with a start-up project like this,"
said Contiguglia. "It's important to remember that this is just the
first step in the process."
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